Those of you who live in the UK may be lucky enough to see my mug on TV this Autumn on University Challenge. It's by no means certain (in fact it's still pretty unlikely) but I'm in the provisional University of Edinburgh team after an afternoon of trials today. The next stage is an interview with the producers of University Challenge, more questions and some fastest finger buzzer action sometime in April.
Here are the first five questions on the 60 question exam paper we had to complete (no googling allowed!). I got Q's 2-5 but not 1.
1. What word describes a figure of speech which substitutes for a word an attribute of that word? For example, the use of 'The Stage' for the theatre, or 'The White House' for the US Presidency?
2. According to Greek mythology, Stheno and Euryale were immortal; what was the name of their sister, the only mortal among them?
3. What title was originally held by a Roman Emperor's representative in a province, or the commander of a legion, but is now held by a diplomatic representative of the Pope?
4. Who was the 12th century Bishop of St. Asaph who, in his 'Historia Regum Brittanniae', purported to give an account of all British kings since before the birth of Christ?
5. The existence of which planet was predicted by John Couch Adams in the early 1840s, his calculations being confirmed by Galle and d'Arrest in 1846?
I'll scan the whole question paper in if I get a chance.
Here are the first five questions on the 60 question exam paper we had to complete (no googling allowed!). I got Q's 2-5 but not 1.
1. What word describes a figure of speech which substitutes for a word an attribute of that word? For example, the use of 'The Stage' for the theatre, or 'The White House' for the US Presidency?
2. According to Greek mythology, Stheno and Euryale were immortal; what was the name of their sister, the only mortal among them?
3. What title was originally held by a Roman Emperor's representative in a province, or the commander of a legion, but is now held by a diplomatic representative of the Pope?
4. Who was the 12th century Bishop of St. Asaph who, in his 'Historia Regum Brittanniae', purported to give an account of all British kings since before the birth of Christ?
5. The existence of which planet was predicted by John Couch Adams in the early 1840s, his calculations being confirmed by Galle and d'Arrest in 1846?
I'll scan the whole question paper in if I get a chance.
